Unskilled Women Research Articles

Status of unskilled women Labourers: Problems and challenges

Status of unskilled women Labourers: Problems and challenges

The persistence of precarity: youth livelihood struggles and aspirations in the context of truncated agrarian change, South Sulawesi, Indonesia

AbstractProcesses of rapid and truncated agrarian change—driven through expanding urbanisation, infrastructure development, extractive industries, and commodity crops—are shaping the livelihood opportunities and aspirations of Indonesia’s rural youth. This study describes the everyday experiences of youth as they navigate the changing character of agriculture, aquaculture, and fishing livelihoods across gender, class, and generation. Drawing on qualitative field research conducted in the Maros District of South Sulawesi, we examine young people’s experiences of agrarian change in a landscape of entangled rural, coastal and increasingly urbanised spaces. We find that young people aspire to secure, modern, and salary-based work, while continuing to seek and sustain intergenerational farming or aquaculture-based livelihoods. Youth take advantage of increased connectivity to diversify their incomes, yet their dependence on mobility also introduces new forms of gendered and class based precarity such as insecure working arrangements, disruption to education and violence (especially for young unskilled women and youth from financially insecure households). Our study highlights the persistent conditions of precarity that many young people encounter in both rural and urban settings, while challenging assumptions that youth are uninterested in rural futures.

AB-15 Ülkelerinde Teknolojik İlerleme ile Vasıflı ve Vasıfsız Kadın Emeği İlişkisi: Panel Eşanlı Denklem Sistemi Çözümlemesi

Üretim araçlarındaki gelişmeler ve teknolojik ilerlemelerin tarihin akışına önemli ölçüde yön verdiğini söylemek mümkündür. Fakat teknolojik atılımlar sağlamış olduğu pek çok avantajın yanında, iklim değişikliği başta olmak üzere önemli sayıda sorunun da kaynağı olarak görülmektedir. Teknoloji-istihdam ilişkisi de sanayi devrimden bugüne güncelliğini her dönem koruyan bir araştırma ve tartışma konusudur. Bu çalışmada teknoloji ile kadın emeği ilişkisi incelenmektedir. Çalışmanın amacı teknolojik gelişmelerin vasıflı ve vasıfsız kadın istihdamını hangi düzeyde etkilediğini saptamaktır. Bu doğrultuda teknolojik ilerlemenin vasıflı ve vasıfsız kadın emeğine etkisi 2000-2020 yılları arası için AB-15 (Avusturya, Belçika, Danimarka, Finlandiya, Fransa, Almanya, Yunanistan, İrlanda, İtalya, Lüksemburg, Hollanda, Portekiz, İspanya, İsveç ve İngiltere) ülkeleri ekseninde panel eşanlı denklem sistemi yardımıyla araştırılmaktadır. Analiz bulguları, patent sayısındaki artışın vasıflı kadın işsizlik oranını azaltırken, toplam faktör verimliliğindeki artış vasıfsız kadın işsizlik oranını arttırmaktadır. Öte yandan beşeri sermayedeki artışın vasıfsız kadın işsizlik oranını düşürmekte olduğu tespit edilmektedir.

Gender and Covid‐19: Are women bearing the brunt? A case study for Bolivia

AbstractThe coronavirus pandemic (COVID‐19) is threatening the well‐being of citizens in most countries of the world; however, women and men could be affected in different ways. This study uses a gender‐sensitive computable general equilibrium model linked to a micro model to assess the impacts of COVID‐19 in Bolivia. The results reveal negative effects for all economic agents. Female‐headed households in general and those headed by unskilled women in particular are the most affected, as they experience significant reductions in employment and the largest increases in household burdens. This increases poverty and inequality for more women than men.

Yola EcoSentials, Nigeria: waste-to-wealth community social enterprise

Learning outcomes • Identify challenges of operating a start-up business. • Understand the social enterprise and role of gender (women entrepreneurship). • Assess the responsibility of unskilled women entrepreneurs and the challenges faced by them. • Describe business and marketing strategies adopted in market segmentation and product promotion. • Discuss strategies adopted to sustain a small business. Case overview/synopsis Yola EcoSentials (YES) was a social enterprise originated from the American University of Nigeria, Yola, capital city of Adamawa, Nigeria. It was established in September, 2012. It started with the mission to improve the environment, reduce waste and empower women. It engaged in production of hand bags, wallets, table mats and iPad bags from the recycled waste items such as nylons. YES was founded and spearheaded by Charles Reith (Chief Executive Officer). YES faced certain major challenges in expanding its business, namely, maintenance of quality products and accountability of business operations including personal income savings plan and source of new customers. Moreover, YES was having a serious concern of project sustainability because of the availability and division of insufficient raw materials to operate their business. To overcome these challenges, in December 2016, YES planned to devise its growth strategy to operate their business run by local women in Yola, Nigeria. Complexity academic level Undergraduate and graduate early stage programme. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.

Ladies Selling Breakfast

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s largest city, supports a vibrant street food culture. Most of the city’s street-engaged food traders are poor and unskilled women, and there is scant research about how they build social networks and social capital that sustain their microbusinesses. This article focusses on the intimate socialities that street-engaged food traders develop with customers, shop owners and sister-traders in order to stabilise their incomes while their informal street-trading activities are policed and potentially shut down. Recent COVID-19 lockdown and social-distancing measures disrupted the crucial interpersonal relations of street trading and left the traders with no income. This article explores traders’ strategies for achieving economic security, and outlines transformations of intimate socialities into mediated and digital relations after the lockdown.

Two worlds of female labour: gender wage inequality in western Europe, 1300–1800†

AbstractLabour market engagement by women is an important determinant of female autonomy that may also affect their demographic behaviour. In order to bring about the conditions for the female autonomy that characterized the European marriage pattern (in which women had a say in the decision about when and whom they marry), women needed to earn a decent wage. This is clearly affected by the gender wage ratio and the possibility of women earning their own living and having the option of remaining single. So far no attempt has been made to compare the wages of women across Europe over the long run. In this article we provide evidence on the wages of unskilled women for seven European countries (represented by cities or regions within these countries) between 1300 and 1800. Our evidence shows that there were two worlds of female labour. In the south of Europe women earned about 50 per cent of the wage of unskilled male labourers, a ratio that seems to have been fixed by custom. In the northern and western parts of Europe this ratio was much higher during late medieval period, but it showed a declining trend between about 1500 and 1800, a change that was caused by market forces.

Social Norms, Labour Market Opportunities, and the Marriage Gap Between Skilled and Unskilled Women

AbstractIn most of the developed world, skilled women marry at a lower rate than less skilled ones. We document heterogeneity across countries in how the marriage gap between skilled and unskilled women has evolved over time. As labour market opportunities for women have improved, the marriage gap has been growing in some countries but shrinking in others. We discuss the comparative statics of a theoretical model in which the (negative) social attitudes toward working women might contribute to the relatively lower marriage rate of skilled women and might also induce a non-monotonic relationship between their labour market prospects and their marriage outcomes. The model delivers predictions about how the skilled–unskilled marriage gap should react to changes in labour market opportunities across economies with more or less conservative attitudes toward working women. We verify the key predictions of this model in a panel of 26 developed countries, as well as in a panel of U.S. states.

Intersectionality shapes adaptation to social-ecological change

• Intersectionality and inequality shape how people adapt to social-ecological change. • Unskilled women diversify income through agricultural labor but men have more options. • Migration status and landownership intersect and create barriers to water access. • Gender, age, language and livelihood compound to create different adaptation outcomes. • Community adaptation institutions are designed for Spanish-speaking landowning men. People from across the Caylloma Province of Peru are adapting to social-ecological changes, such as decreasing water supplies and rapidly retreating glaciers, in different and unequal ways. In this study, we show how this inequality is intersectional; identities like gender and age compound and interact with systems of power to shape how people adapt to these changes at the individual, household, and district scales. We draw from 130 semi-structured interviews with agricultural actors and participant observations in district and regional meetings across four districts, to demonstrate how intersectionality shapes adaptation to social-ecological change. Our results show (1) what social-ecological changes are perceived and experienced, (2) how individuals, households, and groups within the agricultural sector adapt to these changes in private (at the individual and household scale) and public adaptation spaces (institutions where people adapt collectively within each district), and (3) how intersectionality shapes adaptive capacity to these changes. Specifically, we found that ‘unskilled’ women diversified their income through day-labor in agriculture, while ‘unskilled’ men had more options for income diversification. Migrants who are also renters had access to water; however, migrants who lived in informal settlements lacked water access. Pastoralists over 50 faced more difficulties pursuing income diversification and labor migration than younger populations with similar livelihoods. Public adaptation spaces, including irrigation commissions, were largely designed for Spanish-speaking men who own land, which caused additional barriers for Quechua speakers, women, and migrants who used this space to contribute to adaptation for themselves, their household, and for the broader district. Together, these results expand scholarship on differential adaptation to social-ecological change within globally marginalized, yet locally heterogenous, communities. In particular, this study brings to light how intersecting identities, along with the social, political and economic structures in which they are situated, can lead to unequal adaptation opportunities within heterogeneous communities.

Access and Use of Mobile Phone in Daily Life Activities by Rural Women of Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan

This study aims to investigate the access to a mobile phone, usage pattern, and its impact on mountainous rural women of two districts, i.e., Hunza and Nagar districts of Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. To attain the objective of the research, the researchers have employed various statistic methods, and data were collected through a questionnaire from 190 respondents in the study area (200 respondents were selected). Initially, Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin (KMO) and Bartlett’s tests were used for sampling adequacy, and factor analysis technique was used to explain correlations among multiple outcomes. The results revealed that 80% of women in the Hunza and Nagar districts own mobile phones (access) and 63% have good skills of mobile phone usage for a variety of purposes. Moreover, 56.4% of women use mobile phones in their daily life activities; however, 23.6% disagreed with the statements. On the contrary, the results show that 71.8% women use mobile phones for security purposes. Therefore, the study recommends that effective use of the mobile phone in daily activities of mountainous rural women can be one of the effective strategies to boost their confidence level and feeling of security. Finally, socioeconomic development of the area is possible by providing technical skills related to mobile phone business to the unskilled women of the two districts.

Socio-demographic characteristics and risk factors for HIV transmission in female bar workers in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic literature review

BackgroundAlthough sex workers are considered a key population in the HIV epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), less consideration has been given to female bar workers (FBW), whose primary occupation is not sex work but who often engage in transactional sex. Understanding FBWs’ risk profiles is central to designing targeted HIV prevention interventions for them. This systematic review describes the socio-demographic characteristics and risk factors for HIV transmission among FBWs in SSA.MethodsWe searched six databases: PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, Popline, Embase and additionally the World Health Organization’s WHOLIS database for grey literature between July and September 2017. Inclusion criteria were reporting (1) primary socio-demographic or behavioral data; on (2) women who sold or delivered drinks to clients; (3) in establishments serving alcohol; (4) in SSA. We excluded studies not presenting separate data on FBWs. We extracted quantitative and qualitative data from the selected studies and conducted a qualitative synthesis of findings.ResultsWe found 4565 potentially eligible articles, including duplicates. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, we retained 19 articles. FBWs often migrated from rural to urban areas due to economic need or social marginalization. They began bar-based transactional sex due to low wages, peer pressure and to increase financial independence. FBWs had high HIV risk awareness but low agency to negotiate condom use, particularly with regular partners or when offered higher prices for condomless sex. FBWs were also vulnerable to violence and stigmatization.ConclusionsFBWs are a vulnerable population for HIV infection. Despite social stigmatization and elevated risk of contracting STIs, bar work remains attractive because it enables unskilled women to both, make a living and maintain some independence. FBWs face HIV-related risk factors at the individual, community and societal level and may benefit from biomedical, behavioral and structural interventions.

Women in artisanal mining: Reflections on the impacts of a ban on operations in Ghana

As is the case in most corners of sub-Saharan Africa, in Ghana, the number of women pursing work in artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) – low-tech mineral extraction and processing – is increasing. Their dependency on incomes from the sector, however, has brought mixed results: while providing economic relief, it has also caused problems for many women. This was on display in 2017 and 2018, when the government banned all ASM activities countrywide, which crippled many women and their families financially. This study surveys some of the socioeconomic impacts this ban had on women's livelihoods. Prior to the enactment of the ban, 46% of unskilled women interviewed reportedly earned in the range of US$22.22 weekly, with the others earning over US$44.44 per week. This is far more than the World Bank poverty threshold of US$1.90/day but during the ban, many of these women were forced to undertake menial jobs, and despite the ban on ASM having been lifted, face uncertain futures due to a lack of finance.

Genital Chlamydia trachomatis infection among pregnant women in Jos north, Jos, Nigeria: A hospital-based cross-sectional study

Background: Chlamydia, infection caused by Chalmydia trachomatis, is recognized as one of the most prevalent curable sexually transmitted infections. Chlamydial infections during pregnancy have been considered as significant factors in the causation of poor pregnancy outcome and complications like ectopic pregnancy, low weight birth, still birth etc. Objectives: The study was undertaken to determine the prevalence and risk factors associated with Chlamydia trachomatis infection among pregnant women accessing antenatal care in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria. Methods: A total of 200 endocervical swabs were collected from consenting pregnant women who were attending antenatal clinic in Faith Alive Foundation Hospital, Jos, Nigeria. Structured questionnaire was used to obtain data on socio-demography and risk factors. The samples were analysed using lateral flow immunoassay – Rapid Test Device (Swab/Urine) (International Ltd. China). Results: Chlamydia prevalence of 48.5% was established in the current study. The age group 24 – 28 years had the highest prevalence of 67.1% while the least prevalence (23.5%) was recorded among women older than 43 years. This variation of chlamydia prevalence was significantly associated with age group (χ2 = 16.541; p = 0.001). demographics such as marital status and educational status were not associated (p > 0.05) with chlamydia but in addition to age, occupation of the women was significantly associated (χ2 = 44.490; p = 0.001) with the infection. Unskilled women had the highest chlamydia prevalence (74.7%) as opposed to 20% recorded in skilled women and 47.1% among the semi-skilled women. Risk factors like HIV status was significantly associated (χ2 = 27.205; p = 0.001) with chlamydia. HIV positive women had chlamydia prevalence of 83.7% compared with 38.9% in their HIV negative counterparts. Conclusion: The study demonstrated chlamydia prevalence of 48.5% in this study. Age group, history of STI, use of IUD, history of abortion among others were identified as risk factors associated with the infection.

Trends in mobility in India: issues of labour market integration and exclusion of vulnerable sections of the population

ABSTRACT This paper analyses the proposition that the process of migration and urbanization in India has opened up in recent years, enabling people to move freely and leading to labour market integration, using data from the population census and National Sample Survey (NSS). Based on a critical examination of methodological and data-related issues and the insights on migration gained from the recent Economic Survey and India Human Development Survey, it questions the thesis that mobility in general has gone up significantly notwithstanding the increased mobility and absorption of poor and unskilled women in low-level service sector jobs, particularly in urban areas. Taking the case of the Muslim population, it argues that migration of socioeconomically vulnerable sections of the population has gone down.

The exploitation narratives and coping strategies of Ethiopian women return migrants from the Arabian Gulf

A large number of unskilled women from least developed countries engage in international migration as domestic workers. Although the transnational migration experiences of these women could potentially be empowering, women migrants are vulnerable to exploitation. This paper explores the migration experiences of Ethiopian women who migrate to Arabian Gulf countries as domestic workers under the kafala labor sponsorship system and how they cope with their traumtic experiences upon return to Ethiopia. Forty-eight women Ethiopian former domestic workers who had returned from Arabian Gulf countries participated in this study. The study found that both women migrants who live with their sponsor/employer and those who run away from their sponsor/employer are exposed to various forms of racialized, gendered and economic exploitation at different stages of the migration process. The study also found that upon returning to Ethiopia, these women use sense-making and benefit-finding strategies to cope with their multiple exploitation experiences.

Task shifting in active management of the third stage of labor: a systematic review

BackgroundActive management of the third stage of labor (AMTSL) describes interventions with the common goal to prevent postpartum hemorrhage (PPH). In low- and middle-income countries, implementation of AMTSL is hampered by shortage of skilled birth attendants and a high percentage of home deliveries. Task shifting of specific AMTSL components to unskilled birth attendants or self-administration could be a strategy to increase access to potentially life-saving interventions. This study was designed to evaluate the effect, acceptance and safety of task shifting of specific aspects of AMTSL to unskilled birth attendants.MethodsA systematic search was conducted in five databases in September 2015 to identify intervention studies of AMTSL implemented by unskilled birth attendants or pregnant women themselves. Quality of studies was evaluated with an adapted Cochrane Collaboration assessment tool.ResultsOf 2469 studies screened, 21 were included. All studies assessed implementation of uterotonics (misoprostol tablets or oxytocin injections), administered by community health workers (CHWs), auxiliary midwives, traditional birth attendants (TBAs) or self-administration at antenatal (home) visits or delivery. Task shifting for none of the other AMTSL components was reported. Task shifting of provision of uterotonics reduced the risk of PPH (RR 0.16 to 1) compared to standard care (13 studies, n = 15.197). The correct dose and timing was reported for 83.4 to 99.8% (5 studies, n = 6083) and 63 to 100% (9 studies, n = 8378) women respectively. Uterotonics were recommended to others by 80 to 99.7% (7 studies, n = 6445); 80 to 99.4% (5 studies, n = 2677) would use the drug at next delivery. Willingness to pay for uterotonics varied from 54.6 to 100% (7 studies, n = 6090).ConclusionTask shifting of AMTSL has thus far been evaluated for administration of uterotonics (misoprostol tablets and oxytocin injected by CHWs and auxiliary midwives) and resulted in reduction of PPH, high rates of appropriate use and satisfaction among users.In order to increase AMTSL coverage in low-staffed health facilities, task shifting of uterine massage or postpartum tonus assessment to unskilled attendants or delivered women could be considered. Task shifting of controlled cord traction is currently not recommended.

Social Norms, Labor Market Opportunities, and the Marriage Gap for Skilled Women

In most of the developed world, skilled women marry at a lower rate than unskilled women. We document heterogeneity across countries in how the marriage gap for skilled women has evolved over time. As labor market opportunities for women have improved, the marriage gap has been growing in some countries but shrinking in others. We discuss a theoretical model in which the (negative) social attitudes towards working women might contribute towards the lower marriage rate of skilled women, and might also induce a non-linear relationship between their labor market prospects and their marriage outcomes. The model is suited to understand the dynamics of the marriage gap for skilled women over time within a country with set social attitudes towards working women. The model also delivers predictions about how the marriage gap for skilled women should react to changes in their labor market opportunities across countries with more or less conservative attitudes towards working women. We test the key predictions of this model in a panel of 23 developed countries, as well as in a panel of US states.

Rethinking the Technology Platform through Equitable Quality Curriculum for Empowering the Marginalised Women in Education

This study was carried out to explore the impact of understanding the technology platform through equitable education. The technology space; through quality education; is a tool which empowers the marginalised women, with employable skills for better representation in higher education curriculum. A mixed method approach was employed in the study. A sample of three universities was drawn from a population of eight registered State universities in Cameroon. The following research instruments were used as a means to collect data; interviews, questionnaire and document analysis. The data collected was presented and analyzed using, percentages, frequencies, the Pearson Moment Correlation and the Chi-Square (X2) statistical test of independence. It became evident from the findings that the operations of women who did not understand the technology platform left much to be desired because they lacked employable skills. Moreover, they did not significantly impact on the growth of Cameroonian economy due to the numerous operational challenges faced by them over the years. Furthermore, it was also observed that a weak positive relationship existed between public policy support and women entrepreneurs in the country. This implies that, government initiatives and other support services have not assisted them surmount the inhibiting operational challenges. In order to help the unskilled women overcome their operational hardships, it is strongly recommended that among others, the following issues should be in place; relationship between understanding the technological space and female employability skills, capacity building initiatives on equitable quality education for all, provision of effective and realistic support services for marginalised women, promoting of gender neutral environment in all policy measures to help empowered women impact significantly on Cameroonian economic growth and stability.

Is fibromyalgia the most common diagnosis amongst female out-patients?

<p class="abstract"><strong>Background:</strong> <span lang="EN-IN">The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) among women coming to outpatient department.</span></p><p class="abstract"><strong>Methods:</strong> <span lang="EN-IN">A total of 68,625 female patients were evaluated out of which 47,901 were in the inclusion criteria. The screening protocol included interview items that have been defined as components of FMS using the 1990 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) classification criteria. Data was entered in mx excel sheet and results were analyzed. The socio-demographic data was expressed in proportions</span>.<strong></strong></p><p class="abstract"><strong>Results:</strong> <span lang="EN-IN">Out of 47,901 female patients, about 40.7% of the patients were diagnosed to have fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). Out of which the major group of patients belong to married, unskilled women aged between 40-60 years of age. </span></p><p class="abstract"><strong>Conclusions:</strong> <span lang="EN-IN">Fibromyalgia syndrome is the commonest diagnosis among the female patients coming to orthopedic outpatient department.</span></p>

Miscarriage and Associated Risk Factors in India: A Brief Review

In India, there is dearth of statistical data on still birth, miscarriage and induce abortion. In addition to this, data on miscarriage on first, second and third trimester among unskilled daily wage women workers is lacking in India. Women even in their early age (20 to 30 years) suffers from physical, emotional and social trauma that are associated with still birth, miscarriage or induce abortion. Miscarriage among women workers can be due to multiple factors such as nutrition, environmental factors, occupational factors, individual health status, socio-economic and demographic factors as well as various clinical parameters are associated. Women involved in manual labour with low socio economic status bear triple burden such as domestic, economic and work related responsibility which make them more vulnerable. Women with low socio economic status live in poverty with lack of basic amenities, low wage and lack of social security. In addition to this, there is poor housing, lack of sanitation, unhygienic migratory settlements, lack of safe and potable drinking water, improper nutrition and lack in health facilities making them more vulnerable. Unexpected or unfavorable pregnancy outcomes can be stress full for working women and their families. The research intended to estimate the prevalence of miscarriage among women and to study risk factors associated with it.